Silicon and Stars Collide
by thedarkhasfallen
Summary: Shadow's survival on the ARK is still uncertain and it's the final test day! If he makes it, the Professor has a surprise for him afterwards. This is how my FC, Swift, came into being. Shadow's POV. "Rise Above This" 1-- RAT1
1. Passing the Test

**Silicon and Stars Collide**

**Rated T for Mild Language and Violence**

**Shadow, Gerald Robotonik, Maria, and other characters are property of Sega. No copyright infringement intended. Sorry Sega!**

**Swift is my own creation, not yours. XD**

**Please enjoy! R&R is GREATLY appreciated!**

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Chapter 1: Passing the Test

Darkness… swallowing, smothering, darkness. Circling, swirling… twisting, turning, falling in the black.

_Who am I? What purpose was I created for?_

My young mind fought to get out of sleep.

_Why am I here?_

I woke with a start and crashed to the cold metal floor, landing painfully on my tailbone. I yelped and shot to my feet, growling and rubbing my tail and bottom.

"Shadow, are you awake yet?" The Professor's gentle voice softly called into my quarters from the intercom.

"Yes, sir. I'm awake." I grumbled in answer.

"Good, then head up for your last benchmark check-up." He returned cheerfully.

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way." I replied obediently as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

"By the way, Shadow, we have a surprise for you when you pass the check-up." He added and I imagined a sly grin spreading across his face.

"You seem confident." I remarked nervously.

"I am, only because I know you won't fail me." The intercom clicked off and left me to wonder what he meant by those last words.

"Because you know I won't fail you." I said to myself.

I quickly made my bed, brushed my teeth, ran my fingers through my quills, and slid on my brand new Jet Shoes and gloves. On the way out, I grabbed my locking bracelets and slammed my large sliding door shut.

The hallway outside was relatively crowded with scientists in white lab coats, researchers in T-shirts and jeans, occasional security in uniform, and off-duty workers of all sorts in pajamas. I made it through with ease; people moved to the side for me most of the time. On my way up to the control room in an elevator, I managed to get a Kudos bar from one off-shift scientist.

"Good luck with your final test today, Shadow." She told me as I exited the lift. I nodded my thanks.

I walked through an even more crowded corridor before reaching a huge sliding door that opened with a hiss at my approach. Upon my entrance, I sensed a different atmosphere from the usual laid back one. The scientists were all incredibly serious, only nodded to me instead of the usual _Hello, how are you today, Shadow_s. I became slightly nervous; I knew they were trying to remain emotionally distant from me until it was certain I would make it.

"Over here, Project!" I turned towards the sound and followed the command to a group of the top scientists.

I was slightly annoyed that they had called me 'Project' and I showed it by folding my arms, shifting my weight to my right leg, and frowning angrily.

"Emotion levels, starting to reach normal for a teenager." One remarked.

"He looks like he's only 10." Another white-coat added.

"Normal." The first shrugged.

"You have one last test to pass, Project 102; are you ready for the final test?" The Professor emerged from a direct lift to the control room. I nodded slowly, knowing I just sealed my fate. "Very well, then. Follow me to the battlegrounds, Project 102." I instantly fell into step with the Professor.

About halfway there, I looked up at the Professor, hoping for some hint of what was to come. However, his face remained stern, serious, and grave.

Suddenly, the lights in the hallway popped out. Screams from the female scientists and yells from the males pierced my eardrums, but I ignored them and listened for hostile sound. I managed to pick up a low growl from the other end of the hallway. Instantly, I reached to my left and grabbed the Professor's hand. I tugged lightly to my right, and he moved correspondingly behind me. Then, I heard a familiar female voice from behind me.

"Shadow, what's happening?" Maria's voice wavered in fear.

"Stay behind me!" I ordered sternly. I felt her hand lightly brush my back and took strength from it. "You can do it; I know you can!" She whispered. I bared my teeth and clenched my fists, ready for all hell to break loose.

A second later, hell found its fist in my chest. Even though I lost my breath, I refused to lose ground, go flying backwards into those hoping for my success. So, I did not breathe again until I had let fly a solid elbow into whatever my attacker was. I hit metal hard, but did not recoil as I took a breath. Then, I went on the offensive and unleashed a rapid succession of punches and kicks, feeling the impressions of my fists and feet in the metal after the first two. A mechanical laugh droned in front of me, followed by a fist to my cheek. The force was enough to cause any normal being to have their neck snapped through whiplash, but I turned my head back to face the invisible. I tucked my shoulder in and rammed the machine further down the hallway, away from those I had to protect. Finally, the emergency lights flicked on, bathing the room in blinking red light.

"Warning. Warning. Breach in Hallway 1890. Warning. Warning. Breach in Hallway 1890." A female voice repeated calmly.

At last, I was able to fully see my opponent. Predictably, a humanoid robot's white light eyes glared back at me. I smirked and began to skate in tight circles around the robot. Also predictably, it tried to track my movement. But once I broke the sound barrier, its head whirred around at least four and a half revolutions behind my actual body. It was locked onto the blur behind me, still three and a half revolutions behind that.

Finally, I heard the sound I wanted to hear. The head of the robot made a _pop_ as it separated itself from the neck of the robot. I skidded to a stop and grinned, glad the ordeal was over. However, unpredictably, a laser gun rose from the neck where the head used to be and fired a beam at me. It hit me squarely in the chest and I couldn't help but slide backwards a meter. I recovered quickly, stopping myself and flipping forward into a ball. While in midair, I redirected myself at the robot, taking another laser beam, but deflecting it with little pain off into the wall. I crashed straight into it and through it, stopping neatly on the other side. Even though it now had a huge hole in its circuitry, it continued to function.

"Okay, that's IT!" I yelled angrily, summoning Chaos energy from my reserves. "Chaos Blast!" I said through gritted teeth as I unleashed the energy.

A red explosion of energy pulsed from my body in three waves, blowing the robot into tiny pieces of scrap metal, but not reaching the humans at the end of the hallway behind me. My senses cleared instantly when the flow of energy ceased.

"Wanna try the laser beam trick again?" I snarled at the pile of robot parts at my feet. _No response. Good. It's over then._

"Congratulations, Project 102. You've just become the first success on the ARK and you've fully earned your title of Ultimate Lifeform. Now, we can all finally call you by your real name…" The Professor said triumphantly.

"Shadow! Shadow! Shadow! Shadow!" Everyone cheered happily.

They're all… cheering… for me…

"Come on, everyone. Let's celebrate the good news!" The Professor moved to the side and allowed the others to pass him. I stayed standing in the middle of the hallway until all of the scientists were in the lift except the Professor. "Aren't you coming, Shadow, my boy?" He asked, giving me a concerned look.

"Of course I am, I was just thinking about something." I said softly. The Professor took a step towards me and I tensed.

"There is a time and place for everything, Shadow. Even your purpose…" He said knowingly.

"How did you-?" I started.

"You'll find out one day." He grinned brightly at me as a groan left my throat.

I walked over to him and stood at his side for a moment with an angry frown on my face. He let out a laugh at my frustration and patted my head gently.

"One day…" I muttered and he laughed again.

"Trust me. You'll know eventually." He said wistfully as we walked side-by-side into the elevator.

_Now, the true challenge begins..._


	2. Red Blossoms

Chapter 2: Red Blossoms

… _But how can I go at it alone?_

While the humans partied over success that they may or may not have taken part in, I brooded near the window of the control room, glaring at the brilliant blue planet that spun in lazy rotation below me.

"What's wrong, Shadow? You made it through!" Maria called to me as she stumbled up to my side.

"Nothing." I unconvincingly mumbled a lie, feeling tears begin to well up in my eyes. I quickly blinked them away and turned my back to her, praying she didn't see the single drop that rolled down my cheek. I coughed and rubbed my eyes in an attempt to convince her it really was nothing.

"Why do you worry on a day like this?" She cocked her head at me in a curious manner, as though trying to observe my movements like a bug under a microscope.

"Because I'm a pessimist." I chuckled lightly. She gave me a confused look, so I explained, "Because I'm always looking for some way everything can go wrong so I can be prepared for it when it happens."

"Oh." She sighed emptily.

_Well, that was the sugar-coated version of pessimism…_

"What am I then?" She puffed out her chest and looked down at me powerfully. I merely laughed.

"You're an optimist." I said knowingly.

"What does that-? Wait! Don't tell me. I like surprises." She grinned slyly, a grin I recognized was a reflection of her grandfather.

"Are you inferring something?" I said jokingly.

"Huh?" She asked.

"Oh, never mind. Let's go find your grandpa." I shrugged and began to walk into the crowd of people.

"Wait for me, Shadow!" She whined and tried to hurry towards me. I stopped walking obligingly and allowed her to catch up. "Thanks." She breathed, panting slightly from the short strain on her lungs. Though I enjoyed this strain, I knew it was dangerous for my best friend.

"Do you have your inhaler?" I asked as her breath started to come in short, quick bursts. She shook her head vigorously and started coughing. "Where is it?" I swallowed my fear.

"My room." She coughed. Then, I saw a small drop of red rolling down her chin.

_Oh God no!_

I swept her into my arms quickly and began to run.

"HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE, HELP!!" I screamed as I burst out of the control room running at high speed. "Where's Gerald Robotonik?" I yelped at the scientists scrambling to get out of my way. Several pointed to the hallway to my left, so I made a sharp turn and practically flew down the hallway. Maria gave a hard cough and spit up more blood, which I felt start to drip down my arm. Then, I slammed on my imaginary brakes, digging my heels into the metal floor, struggling to stop right in front of the first door. Maria's body jerked back with another cough and I felt something sharp dig into my arm. I glanced down for a second, watching the ebony fur become tinted with liquid rubies, the silver point of the blade rip my skin. A blossom of pain erupted from the wound and shot up my left arm into my brain, driving me to action once more. Mentally blocking another flare of pain, I rammed through the door instead of taking precious seconds away from Maria while waiting for the door to open.

"Please… hurry… Sh-shadow…" Maria coughed weakly.

"PROFESSOR!!" I yelled into the darkness.

"What is it, my boy?" The Professor's thickly accented voice rose from the depths of the emptiness.

"MARIA'S DYING!!" I screamed the truth, refusing to believe the very words I spoke.

"Come on then, Shadow. Hurry." The Professor urged me to leave the light of the hallway. As soon as I had left the light completely, a white-yellow orb appeared about 10 feet from me, illuminating the Professor's heavy-set form. "Oh, dear…"

"_Oh dear" is a freakin' understatement…_

"Set her down on the table here. Quickly now, Shadow." I obliged and gently placed Maria's heaving body on the metal table just to my right. "On her stomach." I quickly and gently rolled her onto her stomach, following orders. "Step back now, Shadow." The Professor drew a syringe with a rather large needle from one coat pocket. I warily narrowed my eyes at the needle, fearing for my friend's life no matter how much I trusted the Professor. Feeling instinct start to take over, I struggled to keep my body still, keep my fists clenched at my sides, keep my feet on the ground. I must have let out a growl, because the Professor turned back to face me.

"Will she-?" I began through gritted teeth.

"She'll be fine once I give her the injection in her back. You don't have to worry about it." He turned his back to me once more. I watched closely, waiting for any excuse to crack some heads open. Showing no emotion as Maria let out a groan upon injection and I took her hand in mine, trying to comfort her as her tears began to flow.

The drug worked its miracle, her coughing ceased and she breathed with ease once more. Finally, the obviously painful needle was removed from Maria's back and she was able to sit up on the table. She tiredly spread her arms and I came to her and allowed her to embrace me.

"What were you doing with a knife?" I whispered into her ear.

"I… umm… I…" She struggled to find the words to save her skin.

"You don't really know, do you? Trying to look tough, is my guess…" I took a guess at what she was really thinking, trying to pick the lock to her mind.

"You're right." She sighed.

"Be more careful with sharp objects next time." I sighed the caution, knowing she probably wouldn't listen to a word I said.

"Yes, Shadow. I'm sorry I hurt you." She apologized in that way that made me unable to stay angry at her actions.

"It's okay."

"Shadow, what's on your arm?" The Professor had finally noticed that something was amiss with me.

"Blood." I mumbled as I pulled away from Maria's grasp and lifted my left arm to show him the damage.

"It's pretty deep, but not wide." He said after staring at it for a few seconds.

"It doesn't hurt… much." I shrugged as I thought about the pain from when the blade had sliced my skin.

"Well, we'll want to keep infection out, now won't we?" He asked rhetorically as he dug around in his coat pockets for something else.

"I suppose so." I answered, even though I knew the question did not require an answer.

"I'll fix you up right now." He pulled an Ace bandage from his lab coat. I held my arm out again and watched him with slight interest as he wrapped my arm in the bandage. A moment later, he finished the job by pinning the bandage tight. "There, all done." I tested his workmanship, clenching my fists, relaxing my hands, pulling on the fabric of the bandage. When I was sure all was well, I began to tap my foot impatiently on the floor.

"Well, what happened to what you told me this morning?" I asked, slightly annoyed and hoping he wouldn't forget something as important as a surprise, the ultimate reason Maria had even tried to follow me in the first place.

"Nothing, I was just waiting for your cue." He gave me that same signature clever grin.

"Mm-hm… For some _strange_ reason, I find that hard to believe." I fake-glared at him.

"It's true; I forgot a bit, but how about we go for it now." He rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

"Yeah!" I yelped excitedly. "Let's go!"

"I'm ready." Maria's voice wavered slightly from the attack and her face was still a touch too pale.

"No, Maria, you have to stay-" She cut the Professor off.

"I want to be there for this huge moment in Shadow's life." She refused to be budged on the issue.

"Fine…" The Professor sighed and helped her up off the table. "Be careful, though, and don't push yourself."

"I won't, Grandpa." She replied cheerily.

"Well then, Come ON!" I groaned, pre-teen impatience shining through again. With that, the three of us left the dark room and returned to the hallway once more.


	3. A Chance Given

Chapter 3: A Chance Given

"Shadow, what's on your mind?" The Professor asked me as we trotted through a large doorway into one of the few rooms I had never been into. I stopped walking and thought for a moment.

_What would be the appropriate answer for that question? Ah yes… EVERYTHING!_

Maria had fallen into silence and a dark look crossed her face from the moment we had stepped into the room.

"Why the lights aren't on." I smirked at the witty and slightly smart-alleck comment.

"It wouldn't be that much of a surprise if I just let you walk in here and marvel at it, now would it?"

"The suspense is killing me." I tried in vain to pierce the veil of darkness, no matter how great my night vision was, I couldn't do it. Something was preventing me…

"Maria, would you please hit the lights and let Shadow see." The Professor sighed in pseudo-annoyance.

"Yes, Grandpa." She said weakly. The clip-clap of her heels against the floor echoed around the room, bouncing off of several objects and amplifying the sound considerably. _Click. _Maria flipped the switch, illuminating the room in florescent light. I was blinded for a split second and I blinked a few times to regain my sight.

When I could finally see as best as I could again, I let my eyes wander around the room. I felt my jaw drop slightly as my vision was immediately directed towards at least twenty glass isolation tanks in the center of the room. Inside of each, floating in the clear liquid was a hedgehog, ages ranging from infants to toddlers, in all sorts of colors.

"Shadow, since you were such a success and since your life in eternity may get a little boring when we all leave you, I've elected to create your younger sibling. He or she will mimic you in your ability to control Chaos, although whether he will have more control or less control than you will depend on which one you choose. He will look somewhat like you and act somewhat like you. Of course, we will slightly vary his strength and speed to give you an advantage. After all, we wouldn't want our Shadow getting beat up by his sibling, would we?" The Professor winked at me.

Maria walked up to me, spine straight, like she had something meaningful to tell me.

"Be careful, Shadow. Choose wisely because this is the one who will always be at your side through thick and thin, over distances large and small, and in the dark and light." Her blue eyes had a fire in them, though her face projected fatigue.

"I will, Maria." I promised. She put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly for a moment, sighed, and then let go of me.

I stepped forward and went to the left side of the line, standing in front of the tube and gazing inside at the being within. I closed my eyes and relaxed, trying to get inside the hedgie's mind. It was simple enough, since it was unconscious. I opened my mind to all thoughts and probed the first one's mind.

_Pampered. Explosive anger. This one wouldn't last a second…_

"Oh yes, Shadow. If you need any information on any of them, just let me know and I'll tell you about them." The Professor tore me out of my concentrated state, and I considered shooting him a glare, but decided against it.

I returned my focus to the mortal hedgehogs before me. I moved down the line to the next one. Instead of probing their minds, I asked for information from the Professor. I skipped around, not really following any specific order. Every single one I had checked through had a great background, great family, great _life_. And yet, one kept catching my eye.

A female infant brown and cream-colored hedgehog… what's your story?

I gently reached out and brushed its mind. Surprisingly, it weakly tapped my mind back. Now, my interest was elevated.

"What is it, Shadow?" The Professor asked, noticing my ears prick up and my spine straighten. "Interested?"

I didn't reply; he knew the answer. I cocked my head at the hedgie.

_Help… please… _A new voice echoed in my head.

_Humph, well this is odd…_

I realized the voice wasn't directed at me personally, but at the whole world, at all life. Still, I was intrigued by her bravery, since most beings wouldn't dare project their thoughts. I frowned slightly in interest. All beings were born with the knowledge that if thoughts were projected, other beings could impose on this and get inside the mind.

"One of the lost ones." I heard Maria mumble behind me.

_What does she mean by that?_

"What about this one?" I asked, pointing at the female.

"We found her in one of the government's tent cities. She was the runt of the pack, as you can see." The Professor said with a soft, almost sad tone. She was unusually small, smaller than the other hedgehogs in isolation. "Her mom sold her to us for 500… it broke my heart to see a mother give up her child so easily, but if I had arrived a few seconds later, this little one wouldn't be here right now." I knew the Professor's eyes had that special mischievous sparkle in them behind his glasses. "She was already pretty beaten up. When I walked in, her mom hid a butcher's knife behind her back; it was all too easy to see, and I probably should have called the police on her for attempted murder, but I decided not to attract attention to myself…" The Professor continued to say the facts, but I had heard enough.

_She's different, truly like Maria said, "one of the lost ones." I… I wanna give someone who didn't have a chance before that chance to live a real life. _

I waited for the Professor to stop talking before making my decision.

"I-I choose… her…" I paused, trying to hold down a sob.

"Okay then, Shadow. She'll begin the transformation into the second Ultimate Lifeform tonight, and by tomorrow morning, you'll have yourself a blood sister." The Professor looked pleased with my choice.

"Grandpa, what about-?" Maria started to ask something.

"Ah, yes. Shadow, she doesn't have a name, since you chose her, we'll give you the honor."

I thought for a moment, looking up at the runt hedgehog that had captured my heart.

"Swift… her name is Swift the Hedgehog." I declared and placed my hand on the tube, near her hand, as if we could touch through glass.

"Good choice, Shadow." Maria whispered as she walked up behind me. I removed my hand from the glass gently and gazed up into her face. "Shadow?"

"Huh?" I tore my crimson-brown eyes from her face and looked up at Maria. "I heard you." I folded my arms across my chest.

"I know you did, but I wanted to ask you something?" She stated blandly.

"What?"

"What do you think she'll be like?" Maria asked, looking up as she did so.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see until tomorrow." I smirked and turned my back to her.

"Well, I hope she's kinda like you." She yelled, making me stop dead in my tracks.

_I hope she's kinda like you._


	4. The Angel and the Serpent

**A/N: I hope this story isn't too OOC Shadow for everyone out there. It's just that, he hasn't been tramatized yet, so he's a little more happy than usual. XD**

**Thanks to Hero Memory and shadougexx for the reviews! I really appreciate it!**

**Please enjoy Chapter 4 and thanks for reading!**

**-Swift-**

Chapter 4: The Angel and the Serpent

I found it hard to sleep that night, even though I was tired from the battle that morning. But when I finally clamored into sleep's arms, I found myself dreaming about what my little sister would look like. In my dreams, she was angelic, beautiful, perfect, strong… everything I knew I could never be. I already knew there was no way I could ever be the hero Maria wanted, even though I was, in her eyes, the most heroic being in the universe. Through my crimson-brown irises, however, the Swift that I envisioned was the true ultimate…

At 1100 hours, my eyes flicked open as my internal alarm woke me up for the special occasion. I literally flew through my morning preparations of looking presentable to the others on the colony and shot out of my quarters within five minutes. Ignoring the pleading rumbles of my stomach, I jogged up to the control room, practically shaking with excitement. I burst through the door and skidded to a stop next to the Professor.

"Ah, there you are Shadow. Swift has completed her transformation with only minor complications." He told me as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Minor complications? What happened?" Suddenly, I was incredibly fearful for Swift's safety, even though I didn't know her at all.

"Nothing serious… She's just not made of pure Chaos like you. Since she had a base, she's a little more susceptible to injury than you. Also, we found it quite hard to alter her power enough to give you a distinct advantage, so we were only able to remove a touch of power from her. In exchange however, we had to add to her speed a touch. So, she ended up a little quicker and a little less strong than you." The Professor explained tiredly.

"That's all? She's okay then?" I expelled a breath I did not know I had been holding in. The Professor nodded and smiled. "Well, where is she?" I asked impatiently.

"Maria is getting her. She should be here about now… There she is!"

Maria and Swift were concealed in a large group of scientists, much to my aggravation. Finally, the group stopped about ten feet from the Professor and I. The group began to thin out and quiet down, until I could hear someone crying in the center. I tensed slightly as I caught sight of the two. Then, Maria strode out from the group nervously. She stopped in front of us and knelt down to my level, clutching a small bundle, my sister, hidden in a white blanket. The unnerving sound was coming from the bundle and I couldn't help but fidget as the hedgehoglet let out a sob only audible to my ears.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" The Professor laughed at me.

"She's scared…" I muttered absently, my attention almost fully trained on the bundle.

"I can't get her to stop crying!" Maria exclaimed, upset that she could not calm the hedgehoglet down. When I edged closer, she noticed. "You wanna see her?" She asked exasperated. I nodded slowly. Maria lifted the edge of the blanket and allowed me to peer inside. The brown and cream hedgehog I saw before was gone with her horrid past. Her navy quills were faintly streaked with ebony, though the highlights would become more defined as she grew, and stuck up like mine and a tiny white patch of fur poked up on her chest like mine. Her eyes were a deep brown color that made me curious of what lay behind them.

She reached her tiny hands up towards me, eyes huge and pleading. Embarrassed and unsure of what to do, I glanced back at the Professor, who merely laughed again.

Just like in my dreams, she was beautiful and sure looked angelic. Although, I wouldn't really get to know my sister until she gained some sort of experience with life so we could speak on an intelligent level.

Still she reached for me, crying desperately for me to take her from Maria. Why she didn't feel safe in Maria's arms was beyond me, but I knew by then that I was the only hope left of calming her down. Her caramel eyes entrapped me in feelings of wonder as I studied her.

_The only question that remains is… will she accept me as well?_

"Let me give it a shot." I tore my eyes away from my kin and looked up into Maria's watery blue pools.

"Alright, be careful though, Shadow." Maria quickly demonstrated the proper way to hold the hedgehoglet without causing her harm. "Careful now… careful… here you go." Maria muttered as she passed the bundle from her arms into mine. The instant Swift's head came to rest in the crook of my elbow, she stopped crying and, with an amusingly calm demeanor, looked up into my face with a trusting expression on her face.

"Imagine that!" The Professor exclaimed wistfully at Swift's immediate reaction to me. "I think she likes you." He chuckled behind me. The wound on my arm, Maria's stunned and slightly annoyed face, the Professor's light-hearted jeers, the scientists' low discussions… none of that mattered anymore. The only thing that truly mattered in that moment was Swift.

I felt like a serpent, impure, hell-bound, incapable, and unworthy of holding this pure, heaven-sent, beautiful, and trusting angel.

Tearing myself from my thoughts, I turned my attention back to Swift. She gave a yawn of titanic proportions and curled up more against my chest, one ear against my heart.

_Perhaps my heartbeat is a comfort to her… _

Her navy eyelids became too heavy for her and they started to slip over her eyes. I told the Professor of my 'Serpent and Angel' realization as Swift gave another yawn.

"No one is perfect, Shadow, not you, not Swift, not anyone." He sighed in response.

"I know… I just get this feeling that I'm not meant to be a… good guy…" I tried to put it as low-level as I could to reflect my feelings as bluntly as I could. The Professor started to speak, but decided against it.

"You'll know…"

_Again with the 'you'll know' crap!_

I absently removed one hand from under Swift and cradled her more tightly against me with one arm, while I ran my fingers through her tangled quills. Then, I felt her shift again and I looked down to check on her. She had fallen asleep in my arms, absolutely exhausted.

"Aww… Shadow… You made her fall asleep." Maria cooed, stating the obvious.

A series of 'aww's and 'that's so cute's came from the group of scientists. My ears laid back against my head and I blushed in embarrassment. I halfway growled in an attempt to blow it off, an unsuccessful attempt at that. However, holding my own personal angel was way more than enough to make up for it. I shut the offending statements out of my mind and focused on making sure Swift would stay asleep through the commotion.

"I think she needs to take a nap somewhere quiet." The Professor finally took note of Swift's deep breathing.

_Nooooo, really?_ I asked myself sarcastically.

"Yeah, where's the nursery?" I looked up for a moment.

"Nursery? She has to stay in a containment area, not a nursery." A scientist told me condescendingly.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing." I glared back.

"We'll have to take her from you." The idiot didn't seem to notice my agitation.

"I don't think so. I'll take her wherever I want to, thank you very much." I snarled, eyes flashing in anger.

"I'm afraid you aren't in the position to do that." He moved forward to take Swift from my arms.

"Hey! Stop messing with him!" The Professor ordered the scientist to back off of me. "Let him do what he wants. It's his sister after all, right?"

"No. They're experiments, far below us in the scheme of things. Mere beings that only exists because we let them…" The man said arrogantly as he continued to move towards me.

"Back off, or I'll kill you!" I threatened, ready to protect Swift's life with my own.

"Shadow, don't!" Maria yelled from behind the man.

"Jim, get the heck away from my son and daughter!" The Professor suddenly stepped between the man and me.

"You're a fool for calling those killing machines your offspring!" Jim snorted and put his hands on his hips, as if to say 'are you kidding me'.

_Killing machines?_

"They have a choice and you know it! I don't even know why I promoted you to the space colony rankings anyway! Why can't you just accept them for what they are?" The Professor defended us furiously, and I could tell someone was going to go down.

"I have accepted them for what they are! MURDERERS!!" Jim yelled over the Professor at Swift and I.

"They've never hurt anyone, ever!" Now Maria was stepping into the mix.

_Oh boy…_

"They're both damned to Hell! They'll never be the angels you think they are. And in the end, they'll be the death of you." Jim laughed hysterically. He turned quickly and grabbed Maria by the arm, jerking her hard towards him. Suddenly, he whipped out a gun from his coat pocket, cocked it, and pressed it into Maria's head. He pulled Maria's arm behind her shoulder violently with his other hand. She cried out and struggled a bit before he silenced her with a shove in the back, which nearly pulled her arm out of its socket.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I snarled and drew on the Chaos energy in the room. Clutching Swift to my chest with one arm, I used my right arm to redirect the energy I had absorbed through my arm and out of my open hand towards Jim. The burst of energy shot straight into and through Jim's exposed gun hand, causing him to drop the gun. He lunged for it and grabbed it again; through the immense pain the burn wound must have caused him.

_Shoot!_

Just then, Swift's eyes flew open and she awoke in the middle of the commotion. Her brown eyes glanced up at me for a split second, made contact, and then flicked over to the situation across the room. She seemed to comprehend the danger present. While I charged up again, Jim turned the gun on me and fired a shot. I dove to the side, tucking Swift close and roaring back to my feet with an orb of Chaos clenched in my other hand. I fired another shot, this time hitting the hand that held Maria in place. She spun away quickly and ran to her grandfather. Jim turned his gun again and fired at Maria and the Professor. I let out a yelp in dismay as I realized I couldn't charge up fast enough. But then, I saw a small ball of Chaos fly out from my position and knock the bullet off of its path. I looked down and noticed Swift's glowing right palm.

_She can use Chaos this early?_

I finally charged another ball again and gathered myself up enough to fire it directly at Jim's chest. He screamed eerily before it crashed into him head on, taking the light from his eyes instantly as his blackened heart was silenced forever. I breathed a sigh of relief and cast a thankful glance down at my baby sister, who gazed up at me with an expression that said 'it was nothing'.

"Shadow!" Maria cried and struggled to get out of the Professor's grasp. He refused to let her go and strain her lungs for the second time in two days. I walked to her instead and let her envelope Swift and I in a flurry of tears and hugs while the Professor ordered several of the cleaning crew staff members to clean up the body.

"You realize that if you and Swift weren't here, Maria and I would probably both be dead." The Professor said solemnly.

"Yeah." I groaned through Maria's bear hug.

"Thanks…" He said towards me, and then bent down to Swift's level. "To the both of you." He added and smiled at Swift. She giggled and burbled happily. I smiled at this and held her closer to me. I began to wonder why I was so numb and cold about killing the scientist. I glowered towards the spot where I had ended a life, _personally _taken someone else's soul from his body.

_Maybe I am a killing machine..._ I cast a solemn look at my sister. _I just hope she won't follow my lead._

"He has been about to crack for a while now, and I think Swift just sent him skyrocketing over the edge." The Professor shrugged as he explained Jim's behavior. The other scientists seemed to know about Jim's 'condition'. Still, I didn't care about him, I cared about the future.

_Day one and she already trusts and likes me. Maybe, just maybe, she'll stay at my side like the Professor said she would…_

"Pure insanity, nothing else." Maria said as she released me. Swift was returning to her previous tired state and I couldn't blame her, for I shared the feelings with her.

"If you don't mind, using Chaos under stress like that made me a little tired, and I didn't sleep much last night either… can I go back to sleep?" I asked politely, proving my point with a stifled yawn.

"Of course you may. Maybe we need to put you under more stress during the training sessions if you are tired now." The Professor was already putting together tomorrow's schedule for me.

"Yes, sir." I said, choking down another yawn.

"What about Swift?" Maria asked. Swift gave a huge yawn and curled up against my chest again.

"There's your answer." The Professor chuckled.

"Can I take her?" I asked pleadingly.

"Yes you may, just be careful and keep in touch with us." He waved me off.

I took off out of the control room and down the hallway at a run, which didn't seem to bother Swift one bit. Slamming my heels down into the metal, I skidded to a stop in front of my quarters and entered the numerical password that allowed me an entrance. I walked in the sliding door and kicked off my Jet Shoes towards their place beside the dresser. I took off my gloves, but left my locking bracelets on to allow for a faster Chaos recovery. I launched myself onto my bed and turned on my back just before I landed and held Swift more loosely. Then, I threw back the covers and placed Swift on one side of the bed before climbing under the covers myself. I wrapped the blanket around her more loosely to allow her more movement. I smiled at her as she gave me a yawn and closed her eyes. Then, I let my head crash to my pillow and I closed my eyes as well, attempting to fall asleep instantly. Instead, I lay in bed thinking for a few moments, turning on my side to better detect any distress on Swift's side.

Then, I felt movement on the other side of the bed. I opened one eye and propped my head up on my elbow to get a look at what Swift was doing. She obviously felt uncomfortable in a big area without anything next to her and she was struggling to get out of the blanket, eyes fixated on me. When she looked down at the blanket for a moment, I reached over and lifted one edge of the blanket to help her. She looked up the instant she sensed my movement. She watched with mild interest as I untangled her from the mass of blanket that surrounded her. I allowed myself a small smile and freed her. Upon gaining her freedom, she crawled to me and curled up against me. I smiled and ran my fingers through her quills again, trying to make her feel safe enough to fall asleep. Sure enough, within a few minutes, she was out like a light. After that, I let my head fall again and rested my hand over her tiny body protectively.

_Will I be a good enough brother for her? I suppose only tomorrow will tell._

And with that, I closed my eyes on reality and opened the gate to my subconscious, where dreams waited to be enacted.


	5. The Dark That Follows

Chapter 5: The Dark That Follows

_One month later…_

Though my internal alarm clock had adapted to sense for movement against me, it still woke me up after an extended period of absence of movement. I stirred slightly, squeezing my eyelids tight because I didn't know why there wasn't any disturbance. As I prepared myself for the worst, I prayed it was the best. Slowly, I opened my eyes to find that my prayers had been answered. Swift was merely absent, a wrinkled spot to show that she had been there. I searched for a note, but came up short, which was cause for slight worry. Deciding to take on the attitude she used when I wasn't present, I ignored the paranoia rising up in my chest. Snatching the brand-new iPod the Professor had nabbed from an experimental lab on Earth for us, I plopped it in the amplifier and scrolled until I hit 'Shuffle Songs'. Then, I depressed the center button. My ears peeled back as high pitched squealing crashed out of the speaker. I barely managed to keep my balance as I pressed the 'Next' button to discover an actual guitar playing instead of someone strumming random strings in the background.

Now, I looked to be around 13 years old. My quills were hardening into the dangerous weapons that an adolescent-to-adult hedgehog possessed and the highlights were becoming a brighter and brighter crimson every day. Swift, though incredibly intelligent, was still absorbing the information on higher end conversations. She was learning, however, and that gave no reason for panic. Swift now looked to be around 11 or 12, and her charcoal streaks had yet to sharpen against the radiant navy blue fur. Though Swift remained a temporary installment until her survival was insured as mine was, Maria became the singular permanent fixture for me to revolve around during thick and thin… because there were some nights I would be on edge until everything was set straight once more. It soon became apparent that I _needed_ Maria to live. I _needed_ her life to allow mine to continue, since Swift's soul still dangled precariously over the edge to oblivion.

It was becoming apparent to the researchers that I had more power in stock than I let on, as did Swift. So, they forced me to aim for perfection in the art of controlling Chaos. As I trained by myself, I practiced hitting targets, charging up, and most importantly, not overloading. Usually, Swift would sit up in a shielded room and watch me carefully, often times mimicking the moves I made and occasionally producing sparks of the stuff, but never enough to draw a ton of attention to herself.

"Shoot." I muttered to myself as I mindlessly stubbed my toe on the doorframe between the bathroom and the bedroom.

"Shadow!" The Professor's voice suddenly called from the intercom, startling me just enough to cause me to spin around and unleash a torrent of Chaos upon the opposing wall. Shocked by my lack of control and the destruction that had resulted, I staggered away from the wall in utter alarm until my back smashed not too softly into the nearby dresser… Swift's dresser.

"Y-yes, sir?" I asked shakily, knowing he would have heard the fracture in my voice.

"Are you alright, Shadow?" He probed quickly, clearly urgent to get to the original reason upon which he was calling.

"Fine, just a little… unnerved." I explained, still quite shaken up as my eyes bore into the black mark I had created on the wall.

"We need you in the Chaos Training Room! Swift's in trouble!" My brain short-circuited. I couldn't breathe, speak, see… nothing. I was absolutely blank, all thought gone. As my vision flickered back into focus, all I could see was Swift's face…

"Because you know I won't fail you." I muttered quickly as soon as I could find the strength to take another breath.

"Shadow?" The Professor yelled desperately through the intercom, but I was already out the door, sprinting at lightning speed towards the sound of Swift's distressed thoughts ringing in my ears for only me to hear.

I launched myself literally through the thick metal sliding door, saving precious seconds instead of waiting for the scientists on the other side to walk slowly to the door and swipe their cards to allow the door to open. While the researchers freaked when they saw me surrounded in debris, I ignored all of their scolding and slid to the Professor's side.

"What's wrong?" I half-shouted, trying frantically to see into room where Swift was apparently kept away.

"These idiots-!" The Professor yelled over his shoulder at some of the researchers that stood as far away from the equipment the slightly crowded room allowed. "-Tried to induce Chaos Blast from Swift through her anger." He said more calmly.

"How?" I asked skeptically.

"They threatened her with your life." He stated blandly, trying to remain logical about the situation.

"They threatened to kill me!" I whirled around threateningly.

"Focus, Shadow!" The Professor ordered. I obeyed, turning on my heel back to face the screen. "They had fake tape of you battling the robot we used for your test, only you were losing."

"So, she actually thought I was dying…" I uttered, murderous thoughts beginning to blot out my original plan.

"Yes. She's already used Chaos Blast, but the video apparently got worse and she drew in too much energy. So now, she's in an internal battle. If she doesn't keep it in, this Chaos Blast will kill everyone on this colony… perhaps minus you, but the energy she has within her right now is more than I've ever seen…" The Professor pondered the circumstances versus my capabilities.

"If she keeps it in?" I prodded.

"If she doesn't trap the energy in reserve properly, it will kill her from the inside. If she does bottle it up successfully, everyone'll live to see another day." The Professor seemed a tiny bit doubtful on that last part.

"What can I do?"

"Coach her through it; tell her you're still alive. Anything! I don't want to lose a daughter." I wasn't really listening.

_Swift, it's Shadow! I'm not dead, okay? They were lying to get you to Chaos Blast! I never was in any danger… _I pressed out on the boundaries of my mind, surpassing them easily. However if my mind had been able to crack as it hit something through telepathy, it would have when it smashed headlong into Swift's mental barrier. From the way it felt, the force field was put up merely instinctively, for a second of negative waves within her mind would result in death. _Swift?_

_I'm… here…_ Her reply was weak with mental strain and I was finally able to peer over the equipment into the sealed room. Swift was on her knees, clutching her head in her hands and almost clawing at her ears and temples. And then as she slowly lowered her mental boundary to allow me to clearly connect with her, I felt the amount of energy she had drawn in. It was absolutely huge and could have literally covered everything within a 100-mile radius of the ARK.

_How'd you manage to even bring that much energy into you?_ I stared disbelievingly through the screen.

_I got scared… panicked. _She explained shortly. I knew she didn't have much time left, if any at all, so I quickly condensed all of the information I learned about controlling energy from experience and lessons.

_Okay… do you have any hold on it at all?_ I asked, running through some diagnostics.

_Yeah. I've got a grip on it. _She groaned back, pushing the mental barrier down further.

_You know… I can't help you rein it in… I can't save you…_ I said sorrowfully after a moment of realization. In any other situation, I would have jumped in at this second and taken some of the load off. However, this was her survival fight… and she had to be able to stand on her own, even if I couldn't.

_I know… But, your just being here makes me stronger._ Her grip tightened on the hefty load of Chaos. _I just needed the reassurance. I could feel you there; I just refused to believe it until I saw you._ Without warning, she started to bottle the energy up. She was beginning to pull away from it. However, she began a race between her heart and the energy. Both were losing. She had put forth too much effort into keeping it steady while the energy resisted any shaping.

_You're drained from holding onto it so long! You could die if you bottle it!_ I clenched my fists disbelievingly. She was so close… and I would still lose her. I couldn't think about it. I wouldn't allow my mind to see the truth… Swift was dying before my eyes… and there wasn't a single thing I could do except drive her faster towards her final straw.

_Shadow… because you know I won't fail you…_ These words froze me dead in place. All communication other than the light brush of our minds in instinct cut off. Suddenly, this little semi-clone of me managed to restore my hopes with merely seven words. I had absolute faith in her. She had to make it because if she didn't, the world would fall apart and I'd be left with nothing to stand on. _You still with me?_ She shrilled the question, pain from the pressure rising up in her mind's voice. Her heart was pounding louder than her voice now. The logical part of me told me that I needed to say goodbye to her. The masochistic part of me forced me to become optimistic.

_Yes, Swift! Yes! You can do this!_ I actually believed the words as they flew from my mouth. With the rational part of my mind subdued, I went mad with glee. _You're going to make it!_ I began giggling with insanity. The Professor cocked his head at me almost fearfully. I cackled almost insidiously now; something had taken over my soul.

_**You're just as vile as your biological creator. **_

My mind froze.

_What's wrong with me?_ I sucked in a huge gulp of air and reoriented myself. Scolding myself sharply, I focused more attentively on Swift's racing heart. _Easy now. Don't overexert yourself. _I cautioned tentatively.

_You're turning freakin' bipolar. _She smirked as the energy completely overpowered her previous growth pattern. As she drew in more and more energy from the stockpile and bottled it up, waves of it pulsed outward to me, increasing my growth as well. Golden light enveloped her body and radiated over mine, blocking my sight. Years passed in merely seconds. Potential lifeforce flowed out of my body, circled around me, and reentered with crushing power, nearly overloading my own body. I staggered under the new weight being added within split seconds and couldn't imagine the amount of pressure even the tiniest ounce put on Swift.

_Why are you… doing this?_

_Dunno! It's helping relieve the pressure, if you can believe that. _She explained almost excitedly.

You're affecting me too!Sorry! I don't exactly know what I'm doing!

_Just make it out alive!_ I practically screamed aloud. She was getting closer and closer, but could slip at any second. The energy flow was beginning to ebb as her strength was sapped away. As the last drop of her power was taken away, the golden light abruptly disappeared and a moan came from the center of the disturbance, Swift.

With the extra foot I had gained during the waxing of the energy, I peered anxiously over the control panel. Swift, who had risen to her feet to gain better control of the pulsations while I was blinded, faded out of consciousness and allowed her knees to buckle and collapsed upon herself. Her heartbeat thundered persistently in my eardrums like a battle drum while I slowly ambled to the huge door that stood between us. I moved in slow motion while the scientists sprinted ahead of me into the room, all gathering around her. Two seconds later, I reached the edge of the ring of researchers. They parted instantaneously, allowing me to see her for, it seemed, the first time. Only a few more scientists remained in my way, so I waved my hand to motion them to move, startling myself with the radiance of the crimson streak on my arm. They sidestepped out of my way with shocked expressions on their faces.

What…? What is it? What did I do?

_They're… surprised. They were too focused on me that they… didn't see you when they passed. They didn't expect you to be affected as well. _Swift groaned softly.

_Shh… Quit expending energy._ I found myself with a whole new word bank to choose from, but remained more simplistic for old times sake.

"Shadow?" The Professor appeared behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. Panic lodged my heart in my throat. Her heartbeat became more and more faint as the seconds trickled from my fingertips.

_I'm not anymore… I have my own locking bracelets now…_ Sure enough, the first thing my eyes fell upon were the brand new and brilliantly shining golden bracelets. But I instantly flicked my eyes to the rest of her. She had grown even more than I had, but from the looks of it, still remained a touch shorter than me, since she was supposed to be late 14. Her navy quills glowed defiantly against the charcoal that stained them. She could have been sleeping for all anyone knew, but she wasn't out of the woods yet.

_Don't you dare stop!_ I wanted to shake her like a rag doll for letting her beat slip.

_I'm trying…_ I could feel her struggling as the curtains began to fold upon her mind.

"No!" I hissed sharply.

"What is it?"

"She's not going to make it!" I screamed and barreled through the researchers who had gathered about her again. Skidding to her side, I knelt beside her and flipped her on her back.

_Easy…_ She winced softly, unable to manage much more. _I'm not… giving up…_

_I know. You just need a little help._

_What happened to no helping me through this?_

_You're through the Chaos thing. This is different._

"What's going on, Shadow?" The Professor strode up and remained standing beside me.

"She's…" Words caught in my throat and I had the sudden urge to rip them out.

_I won't… let you die._

_Who said I was dying?_

_Your heart._

"I've only got one shot at this. I have to jump start her heart with more Chaos."

"That could kill you both!" The Professor exclaimed rather angrily.

"I don't care." I muttered, glaring up at him determinedly, watching as his face contorted painfully. I felt her tense up beneath my hand and watched as a tiny liquid diamond fell from her closed eyes.

I didn't mean to… I-

_Don't. I'll handle it from here. You can't help what your heart betrays. _

_I'm sorry…_ Her chest stopped in the middle of an ascent and fell hard, last breath hot on my cheek as I leaned to listen for another, coming up fruitless. She went limp just as fast as she had tensed.

"I'll make it okay." I murmured, entwining the fingers of my left hand around her right. "I promise."

"Shadow, what are you-?"

For the second time that day, Chaos surged. Rippling from my left arm, it shot through my palm into her's. A light moan came from her lips and I felt the burn I caused within her as our minds tapped. I poked her with the cool feeling I was receiving from this exchange.

_Thanks._

The feeling I was getting from combining our sensations was rather odd, like holding onto dry ice… so cold it burned.

_You're getting that too then._

_Feeling stronger?_

_Much._

Ignoring the icy blaze, I pumped a touch more Chaos into her, sealing the shock inside of her. I finally released her hand to discover I had left more than my Chaos signature on her. Slashed diagonally across her right palm was another streak of black tainted with blood red fur in the center. Her breath came in short gasps for a few seconds before falling into my own labored rhythm from the transfer.

"I can't believe this." A thud from behind me couldn't draw my attention. I could care less about a scientist passing out.

"She'll be okay." Suddenly, my eyes were on hard tile instead of fur. My head jerked up furiously, finding Swift in the Professor's arms.

"Where are you taking her?" I snarled, fighting back killer instincts.

"The infirmary. You may follow, if you wish." He explained calmly. "She's a bit heavier than the last time I held her." He added happily, shifting her weight. I turned away as she adjusted her own body, curling up loosely in his arms.

Will you be okay?

_After an effort from you like that, I don't see how I couldn't be. _She sent her message with a part of the remaining arctic flame.

"Coming, Shadow?" I was the only being that remained in the room, aside from the Professor, who stood in the doorway clutching Swift.

"Yeah." I said meekly, suddenly overcome with fatigue.

"We can get you a bed in the infirmary as well while we check you over." The Professor whirled around and headed out.

_I'll take that offer. _I sighed, receiving a light chuckle from Swift. _I don't see how anything worse can happen._

_Don't you?_

**A/N: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE UBER LONG WAIT!! I gots to go and work on other Snapple now... Bye for now... At least I know what I'm writing about for the next chappie! Keep a look out! **

**-When darkness falls, heroes will rise-**

**-Swift-**


	6. Damn Gravity

Chapter 6: Damn Gravity

"I hope you learned how to dodge after yesterday!" Swift's cry of challenge stoked the fire in my chest. I braced myself as a torrent of Chaos rained down on me as she threw herself at me, surrounding herself in daggers of the stuff. Sprinting to the right, I launched myself up the wall, narrowly avoiding the navy cannonball as she crashed into the dirt floor of the battlefield we were fighting on. I leapt off of the wall and threw a Chaos Spear into the large hole she had created, connecting with a loud crack, and hovered in midair with my Jet Shoes.

_Seems like my new 15-year-old body is more nimble._

_But not enough!_

Swift used a Spin Dash to charge up out at me, nailing me directly in the chest. I slid back several feet, holding my breath until I drove my fist into her side while she recovered, and then sharply drawing in air. We paused in our attacks, glaring at each other from a short distance. Seconds later, we engaged in a high speed and intricate 'game' composed of feinting and dodging. It was a deadly game, for a single mistake on either of our parts could result in a tangle of broken limbs to a fatal collision. I could almost smell the blood, see it spattered across the dirt, white-coats rushing out in a panic…

_Oh c'mon, Shads! Focus!_

Swift darted out of the dance and kicked hard at me, catching my ankle. I careened into the dirt, rolling until I found the concentration to claw at the ground until I stopped, twisting myself into a sprinter's stance. I burst into an all out sprint and drew my fist back, redirecting slightly as she flipped to the side. I flew by her.

"You missed me!" She shouted teasingly.

_Or did I?_ I smirked in triumph, turning and wheeling around. Swift gasped in her mind as I barreled straight at her, once again adjusting as she struggled to dodge. I closed my eyes a second before impact.

"Projects!" The Professor's voice suddenly called from the intercom.

_Chaos Control!_ Swift yelped in her mind, freezing the both of us in place. I relaxed my muscles and opened my eyes, catching a gasp in my throat as they found my fist a mere inch from Swift's side. At the current position and speed, I could have easily killed her with a 'kidney' punch. _That was close._ She breathed as her eyes too discovered her predicament.

_You're getting better though. You've learned how to use Chaos Control without the verbal command._ I tweaked my position with a little energy, forcing my body lower.

_Thanks, but you're just trying to make me feel better. _She replied bitterly, unfreezing us. I slid harmlessly under her as she flew over me. Though I landed perfectly, she allowed herself to crash into the dirt.

"Swift!" I shouted and rushed towards her.

"Quit it. If I had no consequence for a bad move, I'd never learn." She picked herself off of the ground as I dug my heels into the ground to wait for her.

"Yes, Professor." We yelled, I as I stood, she as she walked to stand by me.

"Time's up for today. You're free to go until the evening hours." His voice sounded slightly strained.

"Is there something wrong, Professor?" Swift asked, giving me a quizzical look. I shrugged in response.

"No, no, Swift. Everything's okay." His reply wasn't the most convincing. Swift gave me a concerned glance.

_He can handle it himself. He's okay. _I passed her reassuring words, walking to the right side of the stadium and boarding the elevator that took me up to the 'media' box of the arena. When the door slid open, I scanned the area, but found that the Professor did not linger. Ignoring congratulations, I strode across the room to the opposite elevator, where Swift stood, head hanging dejectedly.

"Swift." I muttered her name, holding my hand out to her. She lifted her head slowly, chocolate eyes dull. Swift gently placed her hand in mine, to which I responded by lightly prodding one corner of her mouth, pulling it up in a half- smile. "Show me that smile." I grinned brightly at her. Her ears lifted a bit and she gave me a small smile. "Race you to The Center." I smirked, released her hand, and took off. I knew I'd need the head start. Even without Jet Shoes, Swift could match and possibly overtake my top speed. I dreaded the day that the Professor would give her a pair of her own Jet Shoes.

"Shadow!" Swift moaned after me, but quickly gave chase. She caught up to me faster than she had any time before, surprising me as she nosed forward a bit, then gasped and lurched to the side. Confused, I looked forward just in time to watch myself nearly collide with a group of scientists. I swung my right leg out wide, allowing the skate to pull the rest of my body behind it, dodging the group by inches. When the dodge was complete, I glanced around for Swift, but didn't see her. Just when I was about to give a howl in victory, Swift came out of nowhere, running down the wall and out in front of me.

"How'd you do that?!" I shouted, slightly angered that she had come up with that clever trick way before I had even thought about it.

_Think beyond the boundaries of normal beings, Shadow. There's no point in staying inside the box if you were meant to go further. _Swift's voice was a mixture of excitement and solemnity in my mind.

"Thanks for the tip." I said out loud.

"Not a problem." She replied, sounding a bit strained. The end became visible as the seconds passed, a blinking red strip of paneling on the floor. I had closed most of the distance in the time allowed, only because sustained running was harder than sustained gliding. She still had to fight friction, I didn't. I lowered my stance and started pumping my legs faster, but Swift only grew faster as well. I noted a slight increase over mine; she was digging for it. I blinked.

We soared past the finish line a second after each other.

"A battle for a battle, then." I panted my congratulations to her, helping her off of the ground. Swift had slid into the finish, providing the last burst of speed she needed to defeat me. She gave me a wry grin as she took my hand and allowed me to pull her to her feet.

"I think I'll need a new pair of shoes." She lifted one foot to show me her absolutely destroyed tennis shoe.

"Where's the sole?" I asked, poking her heel through the gaping hole that remained of the bottom of her shoe.

"I lost it about halfway through. I think I clipped a light fixture back there. Probably hung up on that thing." Swift laughed as she thought about it.

"Well, we're in the right place, huh?" I looked up to face The Center.

The Center was a massive structure of glass and metal built 'near' the actual center of the ARK. If Swift and I had kept running, we would have gone straight through it. The hallway we had raced on went through the middle of The Center and out the other side of the center glass dome to the opposite side of the ARK. The Center had four domes that extended from the middle dome, connected by metal walkways. Each dome contained a different sort of recreational dealio: the 2 Dome contained a zoo and aquarium, housing animals and plants of the planet below; the 3 Dome sheltered a collection of rest rooms for the staff; 4 Dome housed an arcade and a small sports arena, half the size of the arena Swift and I dueled in that morning; 5 Dome held an assortment of stores, where anything from toys to ammunition could be purchased between the several hundred shops. The middle dome, 1 Dome, contained the food court where we stood and was by far the largest of all the domes.

"I suppose." She shrugged, then started off for the Häagan Dazs stall. I turned and headed for the Starbucks. We returned to the center of the dome, Swift with a Belgian Chocolate Shake in hand, me with a hot chocolate. Swift, with the straw still in her mouth, asked, "Where to first?"

"5 Dome." I replied, carefully sipping at my cocoa. With near-perfect synchronization, we pivoted on our heels and strode off towards the 'mall'.

Several hours later, I was laden with bags and clear out of cash. Without Swift nearby, I was forced to push out to her to form a goodbye statement, a concept I still wasn't all that comfortable with. Pushing out of the boundaries of my mind still presented itself to me as a fearful venture, not one to partake in lightly. However, I broke the lines anyway.

_Hey Swift, I'm done for the day. Meet you back in our room? _I asked, sitting the bags down on a bench and hovering over them edgily.

_Sure Shadow, see you back there. I still have to get those new shoes. _Swift's response came quickly, much to my relief.

_Still?_ I groaned. _I thought that was the first thing you did._

_Nope. I went to the Apple store first, silly. _

_Okay then, see ya._

_Bye, Shadow!_

I drew back into my own mind, thankful for the walls that were instantly thrown up around me. And yet, Swift's existence was omnipresent, but muted, like the moon behind translucent curtains.

I threw away the remnants of the hot-chocolate-that-was-now-cold and began my long walk back to my dormitory.

About halfway to the room, a warning sign slammed against the inside of my skull and sirens wailed in my ears. Obeying my internal warning, I lurched into the hallway beside me, tossing my bags beside a door opposite one of very few lights that were out in the whole colony. The shadow the lack of light created just below the fixture was just enough. I pressed my back against the wall and watched as my hands became part of the darkness. After a few moments, I could hear hushed voices coming from the other end of the hallway I had evacuated. My ears strained to pick up the words and my eyes struggled to piece together the image at least seven football fields away. Eventually, the two blurs became the Professor and a floating black and red creature unlike any I had seen in my Biology lessons. It had two long hornlike spikes protruding horizontally from its head, three dark crimson eyes, and appeared to have no legs. It was just about the most ugly thing I had ever seen in my entire life. The robes and necklace it wore really didn't help. I grimaced as the two approached and wondered why the Professor was in the company of such a gruesome creature. I knew of his communication with beings of other species, but never one I couldn't name. As they drew within a hundred yards of my hiding spot, I became aware of a draining force that was attempting to rend me of my lifeforce. Attempting would be the key word, as it had no effect on me, other than the feeling of being dragged inside out through a vacuum. I could pick out words within a few seconds of coming across the draining.

"I mean no disrespect but, I don't understand why you only wanted one if you gave enough DNA for many. You did choose how much blood you gave, after all." The Professor's voice was quaky and it seemed like he was being careful in his word choice.

"Humans make mistakes. I found you might needed some breathing room." The being grunted. I carefully closed my mind in, preventing Swift from dropping in on me unexpectedly. Something told me I needed to keep this to myself.

"I-I really d-don't know what you mean, Black Doom." The Professor stuttered, something I had never heard him do. He was always clear and articulate, no matter who he was speaking to. Clearly, this Black Doom wasn't exactly on his side. However, I resisted the urge to leap out and rip out Black Doom's throat, not at least until he started for the Professor.

"Well it's obvious. You've made a mistake here, have you not?" Doom sighed.

"I wouldn't exactly call her a mistake." My breath caught in my throat. "She actually faster than Project 102-."

"Speed cannot make up for what one strike can if one is already dead." Doom said simply.

_Her? They can't mean-?_

"They are a pair though. Meant to conceal the other's flaws with his and her strengths."

_They do mean her. Shi-._

"I only need one for my purpose."

"But, they are a pair. They are too attached to each other. It's impossible for us to destroy her."

"I didn't say I needed the boy specifically. I want the best of what you have." Doom growled.

"Neither is the better."

"And the duel this morning supports that?"

"No, but-."

"I just want to succeed in my part of the deal. If I wasn't to get the best possible on my part, that would be a tragedy, would it not?" Doom's voice was rather threatening, almost enough to make me lunge. The fact that Black Doom was speaking lowly of Swift added to that urge.

"Yes, it would. However, I don't think it is fair to Shadow and Swift-."

"Oh, they have names? You really have grown attached to them, then."

"Maria, my granddaughter, named the boy. Shadow named his sister."

"This should make it interesting then."

"What?" The Professor's worry wrinkles grew more visible as they grew closer.

"A fight to the death between the two. Obviously, whichever is the victor will be the only one left, and the one I will use for my purposes." The Professor's face became a mask, hiding the look of horror and disgust that had only flashed for a moment.

"When?" The Professor replied, hiding other emotions behind diplomacy.

_You've got to be joking._ I pressed my back flatter against the wall to avoid falling over out of shock. I couldn't believe that the Professor was just going to let that go through.

"As soon as possible. I'll be back in two weeks and I expect to only find one Project still alive. Namely, Shadow. Is that clear, Professor?"

_As soon as possible… Tomorrow, probably. Cover it all up as an accident in training. We won't even know. They'll just forget to stop us when it gets too heated._

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Doom disappeared into thin air with a sweep of his robes and I had to choke down a gasp.

_Was that… Chaos Control?_ I swallowed silently. _I'm pretty sure that some of the scientists would do anything to help Doom insure that I won…_ I shuddered at the thought. Blood flashed in front of my mind's eye.

"If I don't…" The Professor shook. He stood at the entrance of the hallway where I was hidden. It was only then that I noticed the package he held in his hands, wrapped in plain brown paper.

_Swift's shoes?_

"He'll kill more than just Swift." The Professor shook his head sadly, then strode through the entryway to The Center.

Feeling a bit regretful for listening in on the Professor's conversation, I quickly departed upon the Professor's exit. After a few moments of internal consolation, I opened my mind back up to the world. Swift barged in immediately.

_Where'd ya go? I couldn't tell you anything for a while. What's up?_

_Nothing._

_That's not really reassuring. I'm happy to see you've upped your defense, though._ I imagined a huge grin on her face.

_I take it, you've something exciting to tell me._

_More than exciting. It's actually rather fantastic. _

_Lemme guess. You got your Jet Shoes?_

_Correct-a-mundo, my brother. I'll have to show you them soon. Where're you?_

_Making my way to the room. I had to deal with a big traffic jam._

_Oh._

For the next few minutes, she explained to me how the Professor went all the way into The Center to find her and present her with the Jet Shoes in the middle of the shoe store, and of course how many people inside cheered as she slipped them on. Other than the owner, who was a bit angry that he wouldn't be receiving Swift's almost everyday business.

_That's great, Swift. Congratulations._

_Now, you get back to the room and find me ASAP. There's a celebration to be held. _

_I've already been to one. _I moaned back.

_But yours was interrupted by one of Maria's attacks. C'mon. I'll share my success party with you._

"How can they tease you like that?" I whispered to the empty passageway, now understanding why it was void of people when the Professor and Black Doom were talking.

_Sure. Thanks._ I replied shortly, careful to keep my thoughts free of the burden I bore.

_See you shortly, then._ Swift severed the connection on a happy note, but I could feel Black Doom's words smoldering in the recesses of my mind. I trudged onward until I reached our room, and then entered after sliding my card key through the reader on the left and looking into an eye scanner. I walked to the bed, sat the bags down beside it, and vaulted onto the bed. Quickly, I buried my head in my pillow and chewed on the dilemma I faced. I wasn't sure exactly what my options were, since my mind was clouded with the fact that none of the fake situations the scientists put me through were personal.

This was real. This was personal.

Tears came to my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to let this overcome me. As I thought, only one option seemed to pop out at me and I wouldn't like it, but I'd like it more than killing Swift. Suddenly, the door slid open and Maria strode in, a sly simper on her face.

"Shadow, I need your help." She said commandingly.

"Alright, but first I need yours." I gritted my teeth as I pondered how to word my question without giving anything away.

"Okay. Make it fast, though. We have to hurry." She huffed impatiently.

"If you had to choose whether to hurt me or send me away, what would you do?" I asked quickly.

"Send you away." Maria said simply.

"Thanks. Now, what do you need me to do?"

"Well…"

Maria and I spent the next hour attempting to surprise Swift with a party. Ours turned out to be a bust, so we (meaning Maria) pretended that we threw the original success party.

_And that's how my afternoon went…_ I finished.

_Nice, Shadow. You're supposed to avoid Maria when she gets those crazy ideas. Or talk her out of them._ Swift just looked at me blankly.

_I know, right? I shouldn't have gone for that, but I did to make her happy._

_It's the thought that counts, I suppose._

_That's what I was thinking._ I was relieved she was on my side. An argument between us at this moment would rip me to shreds. Besides, I didn't exactly have the energy to fight; I was putting all of my strength into planning.

_You do like 'um, don't you?_ Swift began to admire her Jet Shoes again, lifting one foot and rotating it.

_Of course, I've told you so about ten times. I think it's time we ditched this party; what do you think?_

_Yeah, I'm getting pretty bored. Any suggestions?_

_The observatory._

_Good one. _

I led the way out of the control room and down the hallway a little bit to the first doorway on the right. We waited for the door to slide open, then trekked up several flights of stairs to come up from the floor of the giant observatory. Huge panes of glass were all that separated us from outer space 360 degrees around, held in place by metal roofing. The floor of the observatory was clear only because seats were attached to the walls below each window. Swift walked over to one bench and sat down. I plopped down beside her and placed my hand on the glass. Though the glass was several inches thick, I could still feel the cold of space through the glass and my glove.

_That's the cold Swift will be in._ I couldn't help but think it, and begin to worry as a result.

"It sure is cold in here." Swift remarked out loud, gazing solemnly out into the blackness.

"Yeah." I nodded, shutting my eyes to prevent her from seeing the fear and anguish within them. I was, after all, supposed to be the strong one. I cautiously sealed off my mind so I could allow the utter clarity to swallow me.

_I'm out of time._

**A/N: Whew! Sorry for the delay between chapters! -winces- Anywho, I think I've found a song for this playlist. -jumps for joy- It's "You Fight Me" by Breaking Benjamin. The song title's probably going to end up being the title for the next chapter. I'm proud and sad to announce that we are nearing the end of this fic, dear readers. -sniffles- However, it isn't the end of the journey, but merely the beginning. There are actually several other stories that follow this. I'll let you know after the last chapter on these stories' locations and other stuff. The next chapter may or may not be the last, I'm not quite sure just yet. Wait and see! -devious grin-**

**I've got to hurry and get this up before I get in trouble. And yes, this is ya'lls Thanksgiving present, mostly for DemonOfLight69696, shadougexx, and most of all, Hero Memory. Thanks so much for your support, everyone!  
****Remember to drop me a review! **


	7. You Fight Me

Chapter 7: You Fight Me

The evening hours of the ARK had settled in, and yet, the corridors continued to bustle as something new followed to take the place of Black Doom in the excitement department.

"Shadow... what are we doing?" Swift asked quietly, casting a confused look at me. I didn't respond, save for advancing to the next pile of crates. A new shipment of items from Earth had come in today and, though we weren't supposed to show our faces to the astronauts who weren't too used to anthros, much less ULFs (as Maria and The Professor often called us), here we were. I wanted to get a look at these humans who lived on Earth year-round, besides trips up to give those on the ARK supplies needed to run a space colony. "I don't want to get in trouble!" She hissed as she crawled over to my side. "We're supposed to be in our room!"

"We're not going to get in trouble. Besides, you need to learn how to conceal yourself." I growled, insisting upon her education.

"Yeah, but I've learned this in the training! Why now?"

"Bet you haven't learned to sneak around when you don't want to."

"There's a difference?" She snarled, almost loud enough to give us away.

"Yes, now shush!" I warned, darting to the next pile. With a sigh, Swift followed.

As the hours passed until we could no longer take being hunched over like that, my mind continued to wander and formulate, to the point where I almost got us caught several times. I could barely look at my other half, the other half of the machine that The Professor had created. And now, he was going to let it die. But my brain would do everything it could to prevent it.

Finally, a plan occured to me as we got ready for our nightly activities. While on my evening sprint around the colony, I also drew up some important items for my plot.

I returned more confident than when I left, though it was more of a dark confidence than anything...

"Aww, Shadow! You shouldn't have!" Swift practically jumped for joy as I handed her an iPod of her own. It was black and cold, as if it knew what was inside of me. She gently placed her index finger on the click wheel and spun it to 'Music', receiving a message that said '1 Songs'. Just before she pressed the center, I grabbed her hand, causing her to look up.

"Save it for later." I managed to force a smile on my face. She grinned heartily in response, creating incredibly terrible feelings in my chest. However, it was the only thing that would allow her to know that my intentions were good, though the outcome may or may not be favorable.

"Alright." She replied, dancing, from my view, to her nightstand and gently placing the device upon it. After a moment of silence between us, Swift seemed to have an epiphany, as her eyes widened and her movements became more staccato.

"Are you okay?" I asked, watching her closely.

"Mmm-hmm. I need to go out. I left some data I had collected for The Professor in the Arena." Her eyes expressed the importance of this information, so I nodded.

"Go. Just try not to get in trouble." I shook my head at her, to which she responded by sticking her tongue out at me.

"I'll do my best." She grinned mischievously at me, but I just sighed as she left the room. Turning my head to get a glimpse of the clock, I noted the time.

_I'm giving you seven minutes, little one. _I pushed to her. She only responded by increasing her pace. Knowing that she understood, I closed my mind off for the second time that day; a bitter taste resonated in my mouth at the thought of deceiving the closest being to me twice, or even once, in a day. I strode over to the bed and flopped down on it, staring at the ceiling and running over the plans I had invented. Were it not for the situation I designed it for, I would say that the plan was one of the most incredibly clever plans ever.

_I suppose I'd better get started. _With a sigh, I lurched from the bed and practically ripped it apart as quickly as I could. When I had separated everything, I quickly made the bed back up with the clean sheets I had bought earlier that day.

"Just wanted to spice up the room a bit. Metal and white can get a bit dull, you know?" I explained my excuse quietly to myself, wondering if anyone would care about the change from white to black dappled with white and the occasional yellow dot, a representation of space on the bed sheets, and a fluffy black comforter. I was careful not to raise my voice above a whisper, for the security camera apparently also recorded sound. I slipped the matching blanket of the set under the bed, a key part of my plan.

_Well, not really a 'key'… just something I'll add on for the heck of it. _

I discontentedly paced around the room, contemplating how I would go about the evidence.

_There was 'that'. _I thought as I shoved two of the old sheets under the new and turned off the lights. Clambering to the top of Swift's dresser, which still had the dent in it from me backing into it, I took out a camera and leaned over next to the one mounted on the wall. I took a quick snapshot of the room from it's view, then climbed back down, grasping the photo close as it slid from the camera. I placed that facedown on my nightstand, and then flopped back on the bed.

_Maybe I should just go to Dome 1 and snag myself a big bloody hunk of meat… _I shook my head at the morbid thought, then reconsidered, this time agreeing to it.

"So, it begins." I growled despondently. The situation alone was enough to make anyone sick, but the fact that I was physically attached to it… Now that made me want to puke my guts up. However, I warily concealed my emotions behind a deliberate façade.

The instant I leaned my head against my pillow, I sensed a change in her mood. I forced my mind into Swift's, immediately detecting her threatened demeanor, though she tried to hide it the second I pushed to her.

_What's going on?!_ I shouted to her, leaping off the bed and starting out the door in spite of the lack of an answer. Without contacting her again, I was able to learn her location simply by brushing her mind, something I was unable to do before.

_The Arena. She made it all the way without any trouble, now look what happens. _With a sigh, I sprinted across the colony, through The Center, and into the media box of The Arena. Skidding to a stop by slamming my heels down against the propulsion of my Jet Shoes, I snarled as my eyes locked on a small throng of scientists. Swift was backed against a wall, growling menacingly and clutching a set of discs.

"I don't know why you're trying to stop me, nor do I want to hurt you. But, I will if I must." Swift hissed, navy and black quills bristling.

"You will be the death of us all should you live another day! It _is_ my job to rid the colony of any threat to the human life aboard, and you are the biggest yet!" The leader, another cocky white-coat, yelled at her.

My brain instantly ran through the scene where Jim almost killed Maria, The Professor, and potentially Swift and I as well. Though she and I didn't allow the conclusion to become catastrophic, it left a mark on us.

"You're pathetic, you know? If you can't do what you're designed to do, then I should destroy you." He said arrogantly, a tone that burned like acid.

"There's no point in justifying my correct responses. I know I'm right and that's what matters." Swift replied with a shrug. "And if anyone's pathetic, it's you. After all, I'm not the one preventing data being received by The Professor." Her eyes flashed defiantly.

"I will deliver the information myself with your corpse." The white-coat laughed maniacally. "Perhaps along with your brother's as well."

That did it.

Something snapped inside of Swift, something that had always been a sore spot for her.

The man made the first move, however, lunging at her with a knife.

_What is with all of these white-coats going crazy? Is it the ARK?_

Swift dodged, though she also aimed to counter with a deadly burst of Chaos. I leapt between them, grabbing Swift's arms and forcing them up, launching the blast into the ceiling.

"You idiot!" She hissed, anger burning in her caramel irises as she looked back at me.

"You killing one of them wouldn't do anyone any good." I replied, tone a bit more scathing than I had intended.

"It was my decision! Ridding the world of a threat to the both of us shouldn't be something to question!" Swift scowled. I quickly moved the both of us to the side when the man made a move towards us.

"Thank you for your help in containing this mistake, Shadow." He said venomously, eyes shooting daggers into Swift.

_Not good. _I winced at the comment, knowing that was also a rough one.

"_Mistake_?!" Swift yelled incredulously, tearing herself from my grasp. I looked down at my gloves where she had been to discover a streak of red across one.

"Swift, you're hurt." I said unthinkingly, other than concern. Swift's eyes narrowed, never leaving the man's face, and she backed out of the room. I threw myself at her mind as she disappeared, only to be blocked out adversely. I stared in shock at the wall for a few seconds. It scared me, knowing that I may very well have destroyed all chance of she and I remaining in contact when she reached…

I shook my head roughly and sprinted back the way I had come, heart thundering against my ribs as I began to melt into a nervous wreck. I slid into the door of our room with a loud crack, not paying any attention to the immediate throbbing that pounded out of my arm. Urging the machines on, though they couldn't go any faster or slower, I stumbled through the doorway to find Swift on the bed, her face buried in her pillow.

"Uhhh… Swift?" I asked hesitantly, standing as still as I could, as if she couldn't see me if I didn't move.

"TRUST, Shadow! EVER HEARD OF IT!?" Swift lurched to her feet, fists clenched and eyes red-rimmed with tears, I supposed. Sure enough, a few leaked from her eyes as she glared furiously at me. "I can't _believe_ you stopped me! I was following protocol, following what _The Professor_ told us!"

"Swift, I didn-." She shut me down.

"I trust you!" Her voice cracked over sobs. "I trust you with all of my heart! I trust you with my life and you can't allow me to do something _protocol! _Why don't you give me the same level of trust I give you? Huh?" Swift's face contorted in, I guessed, emotional pain.

"I had to make sure you didn't get in trouble!" I tried, my voice more biting than I wanted.

"I can make decisions too! I can do things that even you can't!" She swung her arms out to either side for emphasis and blood began trickling down her right shoulder from the wound. It had already closed up, but I had made it open again. "What if we were separated? How am I supposed to fight my way back to you if I don't know how?!" Swift snarled, eyes questioning.

_What if, Swift? What if? When? When we are separated… _I froze and stared unseeingly at her.

Wondering what nerve she could possibly have struck, Swift sank to her knees, confusion and pain riddling her face.

"Don't shut me out…" I barely heard her whisper as she dropped her eyes to the metal floor beneath us. She allowed the disk of information to slip from her grasp, and it clattered to the floor.

"Do you want me to take-?" I asked after several minutes.

"Yes." She replied softly, sorrow dripping from her voice. It tore at my heart knowing that I was the sole cause of her pain. I gently picked the disk off the floor and wrapped it in the two old sheets. I was careful to drag the sheets along the ground as I passed Swift and went out the door. The instant I was outside, I pressed my back against the shadows our doorway created, looking at the parts I had pulled along to confirm, much to my remote happiness, that some of Swift's blood had gotten on the sheets. I cautiously folded the sheets and walked on.

After I delivered the disk to The Professor, thanked by a worried expression, I continued on to Dome 1, where I plucked a bloody carcass of God-knows-what from the butcher's back room and wrapped it in the sheets away from cameras' views. A cursory glance around the butcher's gave away a receptacle that lead directly to the main waste area, so I shoved the remains inside. The matter would be burned by 1300 tomorrow, so either it would be discovered if I was found out or it would burn.

I hurried back, only to find that Swift was asleep, her pillow damp with tears. Tired as I was, I only sat down on the bed, pulling myself up on my side and looking down over her. Apparently, she shared my exhaustion, as Swift didn't move a bit when I sank my hand into her quills comfortingly, though who I was comforting, I wasn't sure.

When Swift was a baby, the only thing that would calm her down sometimes would be to submerge my hand in her quills and gently massage between her primary quills, also an effective sleep-inducing action. This is what I was doing to insure that she would be deep in sleep before I did anything.

I tried my hardest to cherish those last moments with her, since neither of us would know when we would be able to see each other again, though I was the only one that knew the situation. However, with the severity of the predicament pressing down on me like an omnipresent and ever-dropping weight, cherishing the moment was something I found hard to do. With my other hand, I grabbed the photo from my nightstand, clutching it to my chest. After sitting there for a few more moments, I finally stood and climbed Swift's dresser, this time with an extended pin in hand along with the picture. I carefully pulled on the pin, sliding it to a medium length, and placed the picture on the end of it. Then, I clipped the pin to the camera, blocking out my movements from it with an image of an empty room. To reinforce my location, I quickly went into our bathroom and turned the water on in the shower. I returned to the main room and removed the black blanket with white and yellow dots from under the bed. I quickly removed her iPod from her nightstand, another crucial part. Holding the blanket out with one hand, I cautiously rolled Swift onto it and into my arms with the other. Then, I cradled her tightly against my chest and wrapped the blanket more tightly around her as I took to the metal corridors of the ARK.

I had run so fast that I was a blur even to myself. There was no way any camera along the way could have picked me up. And I had done it without awakening my precious cargo, which was an accomplishment in itself. I stunned one last camera as I dragged myself into the observatory, pulling the two of us up to the outer glass encasing of the lone escape pod that served as the room's emergency service. Slamming my fist down on the button that opened the door, I exhaustedly pulled the both of us into the glass shell. Both the outer and inner coverings remained open, and would remain so until I pressed either of the two launch buttons, one in and one out. No matter which one I hit, the launch sequence would be unstoppable, the decision inerasable.

I back against the outer wall of the pod, pulling Swift's head onto my chest with her body resting against my own. I gently laid the iPod off to the side of the escape pod, careful not to disturb her.

As I once again submerged my hand in her quills, my mind raced over the mere month and a half she had existed. I realized, as I review such a short time, that we had formed a bond without compare between us. Made strong by the depth of the connection between our minds and the sheer thought that she was _made _for me, we had come so far. And now, brother and sister were to be torn apart by something I was unable to comprehend further than an immediate danger to Swift. I could have torn my own heart out then and there.

"I… I have t-to let y-you go…" I whispered, choking on the words I didn't want to say, for they meant it was truly over. A sudden wave of sadness smashed headlong into me and I couldn't help but begin to cry. Heaving sobs, the black and blue hedgie before me began to blur while tears began to streak down my muzzle.

After a few seconds, she started to stir. Afraid she would wake up, I thought quickly back to when I was an infant and Maria had sung lullabies to me just before the scientists began to run their often painful tests on me.

_Lullaby, you? I hope Maria's got a good one… _Shaking away an indignant voice in my head, I pulled one up, one of my favorites.

I began to hum soothingly as I gathered myself. Slowly, this changed into the tune of the lullaby and then the words came to me clearly.

"Sleep sugar, let your dreams flood in

Like waves of sweet fire. You're safe within.

Sleep sweetie, let your floods come rushing in

And carry you over to a new morning."

I continued to softly sing the verse until she ceased moving other than the gentle up and down of her chest as breath came and went. Stroking her fur for the last time, I balled up part of the blanket and slid it beneath her head as I extricated myself and laid her on the metal floor of the pod. Clambering from the pod blindly as the tears began to fall more fiercely, I staggered over to the outer controls for the pod. Before I could give myself a chance to change my mind, I pressed the red blinking button labeled underneath as "Launch". Whimpering as the glass fully encased Swift, I placed my hand on the outer chamber as the pod began to fill with air from the reserve solely for the pods for the journey, over Swift. Finally, I heard something click faintly, like a clock just before it sounded the alarm when time was up.

"_I love you, little one." _I muttered quietly. Swift disappeared in an instant, escape pod headed for the only place that would be safe from Black Doom and maniacal white-coats: Earth.

I sank to my knees before the now empty outer shell. The explanation would be a Chaos overload. The reason would be the white-coat who had attacked her, named Dan. The evidence would be taken from the waste receptacle if they really wanted to dig there for 'her' body. My purpose would be that I was too distraught to think of proper disposal and I hadn't a clue what she was doing. She and I would escape.

_For the moment, at least._

I prayed that she would accept my explanation for it all once she awoke, hopefully away from too many humans. If she didn't hear it from me, she would know when she took a listen to that iPod of hers that my intentions were good.

_So, this is how it's gonna end? Separated by cruel fate…_

I picked myself up and, casting one last look at the desolate observatory, rushed back to our room, this time with a much heavier burden to bear.

XxX

"Little did I know then, though, that this was only the beginning of something so much bigger than the two of us." I smirked as I took a sip of the hot cocoa brought to me by a white bat.

"Totally." My blue and pale doppelganger agreed, casting a loving glance over at the sleeping form of my semi-clone sister, huddled by the fire. In any other circumstance, I would have growled menacingly and possibly ripped his throat out, however, things had changed… a lot… It was no longer just Swift and I in a dance of death aboard one Space Colony ARK.

No, this was now _all_ of us. And only with _all_ of us could we survive what would come…

**A/N: Sadly, this is the end of _Silicon and Stars Collide; _you've all been a wonderful audience. -takes a bow- Fear not however, this is only the end of their beginning (as inferred with the pathetic little snippet at the end)! In fact, this is numero Uno in my series Rise Above This (aka RAT lawl XD). To read the next two, called _Paralyzer _and _Shadowed Reflections_ along with some of the other, not quite connected yet, stories in the series, or just to check out what else I've pulled out of the dangerous place known as my brain, scroll to the top and click on my name thedarkhasfallen and scroll down to My Stories. _Paralyzer _is the next one in the series, though it doesn't really go to deep into what happens between _SASC _and _Paralyzer_, nor am I going to venture there, other than saying that it was a dark time. XP**

**I would like to thank my sole _faithful_ reviewer, Hero Memory, for being so freakin' awesome! XD **

**By the way, the lullaby that Shadow sang (OMFG she made Shadow sing! WTF?!) was the chorus from Poets of the Fall's "Sleep". Beautiful, eh? I think I've fallen in love with the boys from Finland! :D I freakin' love everything they do! If only I could get tickets if they came to the USA. 8D Yesh, if only... By the way, this little verse, which I've christened "Swift's Lullaby" reappears throughout the RAT series, usually as something either of the ULFs hum, but it's not in every story. You won't find it in_ Paralyzer_, that's for sure. XD **

**As for the playlist of this story, I'm working on it, but I think I've got it. Here goes (in order): "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves, "Hand Grenade" by Thousand Foot Krutch, "Sense of a Spark" by Finger Eleven, "Welcome to the Universe" by 30 Seconds to Mars, "Beautiful" by 10 Years (the inspiration for this fic), "When Angels & Serpents Dance" by P.O.D., "Connected" by Hoobastank, "High Voltage" by Linkin Park, "One Step At A Time" by Jordin Sparks, "Ashes By Now" by Lee Ann Womack, and "You Fight Me" by Breaking Benjamin.**

**Thanks for reading and please remember to review! Until next time...**

**-When darkness falls, heroes will rise-  
-Swift-**


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